While the first daughter’s critics might not want to hear it from her, the experts cited in the article she linked made it clear that maintaining a steady schedule of “at least seven hours” of sleep nightly is vital for long-term health.

New research seems to show a clear connection between healthy brain function and a proper sleep schedule. While we can supplement some natural processes, like brushing and flossing to aid the enzymes already present in our mouths, Stibel explained that nothing can replace sleep.

“When it comes to the brain, we have no artificial way to replicate nature,” he wrote. “That’s where sleep comes in, by reducing the brain’s size to make room for the mental mouthwash. The process of sleep very elegantly acts as a cleansing agent to remove the brain’s toxins.”

Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.